Harry Potter and The Rumors of Deceit
by BluePhoenix19
Summary: Harry Potter gets a job at a muggle department store that is believed to have Death Eater Connections, but are rumors always true? Or are they sometimes worse?
1. Convincing Molly

Harry Potter and The Rumors of Deceit

Summary:

Harry Potter gets a job at a muggle department store that is believed to have Death Eater Connections, but are rumors always true? Or are they sometimes worse?

…sasasasasasasasasasas….

"Harry Potter: male, age: seventeen, hair: black, eyes: emerald, job: perfume sales COUNTER AT A muggle MALL?" bellowed Ron, earning disapproving glances from passersby on the street.

Harry stared at him, "Yes, Ron, because there's been intelligence that seems to imply that," he lowered his voice here so that only his two best friends could hear, "Death Eaters have some sort of a connection there."

"But Harry," inquired Hermione, "whose intelligence are we going on now that Snape's…. well, you know."

Harry closed his eyes and thought for a bit, wondering why the Order still excluded his friends from important data. He would have to have a word with Molly about that. Ignorance was never bliss in a war.

"It seems the Order reaches further than expected," Harry began, "we have another person able to gather information, although she is not a Death Eater. She is, however, quite talented at remaining unseen."

"Who is she though," asked Ron, "and what has she been doing all this time?"

"I only know a little bit about her," replied Harry. "From what I've heard when she was at school she received high honors and was very good at her studies. After school, however, she disappeared – only to resurface several years later as a history teacher in a small muggle town. From what I heard it took Dumbledore _ages_ to track her down."

"She must be very powerful if it took Dumbledore several years to find her," muttered Hermione, looking from Harry to Ron in a serious manner.

"How long have the Order been able to contact her?" asked Ron, looking rather grim.

"About two years now." replied Harry, knowing that Ron was about to have a fit.

"Well then, why" started Ron with gritted teeth, "were we using Snape? Surely, when there is someone more trustworthy around, would it not make sense to trust them with the job?!"

"Ronald, please!" scolded Hermione, "We don't even know this woman! Her past could be worse than Snape's and _besides _Snape was already within the fold - it was a much less risky operation. You must remember that Dumbledore was not the kind to sacrifice lives when there was another way around a situation!"

It was either this statement or the fact that they had arrived at Grimmauld Place that shut Ron up.

On the outside the house looked as dark and ominous as it ever had, the gnarled roses that lined the door path refused to perk up no matter how much Molly watered them. Although there was one noticeably favorable change to the house, its windows were no longer boarded up and someone had replaced the glass. Harry would always feel sad when he entered this house, this time, however, he was distracted from it by Mrs. Black's screams.

"HOW DARE YOU DEFAME ME!!! YOU INSOLENT LITTLE BRAT – YOU ARE OUT OF THE WILL – OH WAIT! I FORGOT! FILTH LIKE YOU WERE NEVER IN IT!"

Tonks was standing in front of the photo looking rather bemused, she had in fact drawn a rather full mustache on Mrs. Black. "I made sure to use permanent ink." She smiled, winking at Harry as he passed. Her hair was in a big pink cheerful bun today and she looked as joyous as ever. As the trio continued to walk through the entrance hall they realized that the heads of the House Elves no longer lined the walls.

"Wonder how Kreacher allowed that!" whispered Hermione, afraid to provoke the fitful elf if he was near.

"Don't worry, Hermione," said Fred, appearing from out of the kitchen. "Kreacher isn't here anymore."

Harry's head snapped back with a jolt, "What do you mean he's not here?! He knows too much! We can't just let him go!"

"No, no, Harry – you misunderstood me. Kreacher is dead. He passed away this morning." Fred explained, earning a glare from Hermione.

"Fred! What did you do?" snarled Hermione, still a House Elf lover at heart.

"Hermione, you can't honestly think…." He sighed, "Kreacher was old, he kicked, nobody did anything to provoke it." Hermione seemed to consider this statement for a bit and then calmed down quite a bit.

"Sorry, Fred. You know me, defender of the House Elves!"

"Yeah, I remember Hermione…. SPEW, wasn't it?"

"S. P. E. W., thank you very much!" shouted Hermione, and they all began to laugh.

It was a shout from the kitchen that led them all away from their pleasant laughter. The shout had come from Ginny, she had discovered one of Fred and George's hidden pranks and was now covered in sticky goo.

"Aw, Ginny!" shouted George, appearing from the drawing room, "That one was supposed to be for Mum!"

"Yeah"-chimed in Fred, "We were trying to cheer her up!"

"This is how you were trying to cheer Mum up?" asked Ginny, in a muffled, yet still irritated tone. The twins smiled devilishly and quickly disappeared from the kitchen, leaving a slow and sticky Ginny to follow the best she could behind them.

The kitchen was a mess, purple globs covered the cabinets and counters, while a more sludge-like substance had coated the floor. The twins certainly had an original way to cheer Molly up. However, when she entered a few moments later it appeared as if the twins had missed the mark – largely.

"FRED AND GEORGE!" screamed Molly, but then realizing that Harry had finally arrived after his weeklong stay at the Dursley's turned her fury into slightly strained delightedness, "Oh, Harry dear, didn't see you there, how was your summer so far?"

"It's gotten much more entertaining since I've gotten here." Replied Harry with a genuine smile, "Mrs. Weasley may I talk to you alone for a moment?"

Molly's smile faded slightly, she had known this was coming, "Yes dear, right after I clear this mess up and find Fred and George, and maybe do some grocery shopping and -"

"Mrs. Weasley. I'm sure Ron and Hermione are capable of clearing up this mess themselves and I'm certain that the pantry can wait to be filled for a moment while I talk to you." said Harry sternly, ignoring the daggers Ron's eyes held for him.

"Well, I-"

"Mrs. Weasley, please."

"Oh all right dear."

And the two made their way to the living room leaving a bickering Hermione and a sulky Ron to clean up the kitchen. Harry glanced back apologetically and felt even sorrier once he realized the sludge was magic proof. He was going to owe them big time. "Now, Mrs. Weasley," began Harry, "I want to talk to you regarding the Order. I believe it was you who instructed that Ron, Ginny, and Hermione be left out of the meetings?" At this Molly nodded her head shamefully, "I must ask you to stop doing so. They need to be prepared for what is to come."

"I know, Harry," Molly sniffled, "but I just can't bear to lose them, you can't blame a mother for trying to protect those she loves, can you? I mean I would have protected you too, but it's obvious that I cannot."

"Yes, but…. The truth of the matter is that you're putting them in more danger by not allowing them to know what's going on. They've pledged to fight with me and they won't back down from that. Even I can't make them! You must understand that ignorance is never bliss in times of war." He pleaded, hoping that Molly would see his point.

"All right, Harry. You win. But I'm still scared."

"Don't be, they'll be with me. You know I won't let anything happen to them."

"And I'm sure they won't let anything happen to you." And at this Molly looked Harry in the eyes and gave a small smile. To Harry's relief his plan had worked. Ginny, Hermione, and Ron were now full-fledged Order members.

"I think we should go tell them the good news, and perhaps help with that sludge problem, eh?" Harry asked. Molly nodded and the two made their way back to the kitchen, where there was still a substantial mess.

------sdnklndfeklnekfdekldfn

A/N: Well, I hope you liked the first chapter! There will be more! Feel free to review, although I won't threaten you if you don't. I think I've made up my mind that this will be a crossover! You will see soon! HA HA HA! Welp, I should update soon. Stay tuned!


	2. The Guest in the basement

It was dinner prep time, all the walls had been scrubbed and the ceiling relieved of its thick, purple sludge. There was mincemeat already on the table (although Molly was regretting putting it there so early, as Moody kept trying to spike it with the brandy he had hidden in his hip flask) and a ham, roast potatoes, broccoli, and a fruit custard all being prepared by Molly and her newly appointed assistant, Dobby. Dobby had been transferred from Hogwarts due to his closeness to the Order, Dumbledore and of course, Harry Potter himself. It was shaping up to be a nice evening, relatively quiet and star-bright and clear. There had been headlines in the Daily Prophet that day that would become hot topics later, during the meeting, but for now there was peace and quiet in the kitchen.

Upstairs, however, it was not peaceful, nor quiet at all. Ginny had finally managed to free herself from the purple glue-like substance and was now firing the curse of the Bogies at the twins.

"OH! Fred, George, don't you even try to dodge these, you deserve them!" Ginny shouted, continuing to miss hitting them by slight fractions.

"Yes, well, we'd rather be modest and not take them." answered George, winking at Fred as he did.

"Oy, that's right, don't want you to think of us as pigheaded!"

Ginny narrowed her eyes and a small smirk came upon her face, "Think? Oh, I don't have to think it for it to be true." And with that she raised her wand in the air, planning to use the transfiguration curse that she had been practicing vigorously, when all of the sudden her thoughts were interrupted by –

"Ginerva Weasley!" It was Hermione, and she was in a scolding mood. Ginny's face soured. Ginny hated when Hermione got like this, ever since she had begun dating Ron she was acting more like Ginny's mother than her friend. It was tearing at her nerves and quietly, quietly …. something began to snap within Ginny.

"Yes, princess?" cooed Ginny, imitating Ron's horrible attempts at baby talk, "Is there something I can do for you, sugar lips?" Hermione blanched, faltering in her composure and unknowingly giving Ginny the advantage in their soon to be spat. "Look, Hermione, you're not my mum, so buzz off – and it's not like I'm attacking your sweetie Ronnie, so you have no place in this fight."

Hermione then puffed up, looking rather livid, "Yes, well – it is against the law for underage-"

"Get over yourself, Hermione – it's not like you haven't broken the law plenty of times in your life, shall I list them? Year Two, Hermione steals ingredients from Snape-"

"To brew a potion for a good cause, yes but-"

"Year Three, Hermione uses a time turner illegally"

"To save Sirius, and I had Dumbledore's permission!"

"Year Four, Hermione dates an adult wizard while underage."

"Well…. I… um"

"Year Five, Hermione breaks into the ministry of magic"

"That was also to save Sirius!"

"Oh, yes – and we all know how that turned out – Year Six, Hermione assaults my brother with rather angry birds."

"Yes, well – he deserved it!"

"Hmm, I seem to be forgetting something, oh yes! Year Six, Hermione interferes with the Quidditch tryouts, creating an unfair advantage for her crush."

"Shut up, Ginny! I don't want to hear it anymore! Fine, do what you want. Only it might interest you to know that your brothers are long gone by now." Hermione smirked and then ducked as the Bat Bogies curse came flying her way.

Further into the corners of the upstairs Harry and Ron sat playing a rather heated game of gobstones. The red pieces and the green pieces mixing in among the blue and yellow as the game reached a furious pitch, unlocking a frustrated growl from Ron and a dark smirk from Harry. It was do or die time, either Ron had to find a place for his last yellow, or Harry would take the open spot for his green and win the game in one fell swoop. There was sweat, there was anguish, there was a fiery tension! Ron sighed as though to admit defeat, but then flashed a grin as he triumphantly placed his yellow down next to three reds and one blue. Harry looked rather disgruntled as the tension receded from the room and he began to realize his defeat. "Good thing you won't have to play gobstones with You Know Who, mate, or he'd kick your arse." Ron grinned, earning a snort from Harry. That was just what Harry needed to think about, Voldemort's snake-like face screwed up in thought over where to put his last yellow piece, then finding a place and hissing the killing curse after he had claimed his glorious (albeit multi-colored) victory.

"Great, thanks a lot, Ron." Harry said, shaking the strange vision from his thoughts, and inclining his head to the Wizard's Chess board, "Bet you I could beat you at that!"

"You're on!"

And so were the happenings of the upstairs part of Grimmauld Place. But what lay below those floors which Molly and the children had long since swept and cleaned away? What lay past the kitchen, through the drawing room, and down a flight of stairs? In the basement of Grimmauld Place there were many things, many of the stranger artifacts the Blacks had collected over the years had lied dormant underneath a formidable coat of dust, until the first time Molly had come down here to store the gadgets and trinkets Harry and the others had found while cleaning up, since then very few had made their way down to the basement, that is until Dobby took up residence in one of the more cozy rooms which had a fire place in it. Since then the basement had several visitors as its entrance was not heavily warded anymore. Some of the visitors, however, were not so welcome. And those such visitors were often the types that could not keep their hands to themselves. Mundungus Fletcher was indeed visiting Grimmauld's basement on this evening and he was indeed having quite the hard time keeping his hands to himself. Being a rather experienced wizard he knew not to steal certain things as they were bound to be cursed or filled with very Dark magic, that of which he didn't want to get involved with. But when something very valuable with a metallic shine hit his eyes, he could not dare believe it was cursed. The object he put his gaze upon was a very heavy, very old, silver locket. Mundungus picked it up and gently began to pry it open. After many minutes of struggling with it, he finally gave up on using physical force and took out his wand. Uttering a quick, yet complex, unlocking spell Mundungus fired the yellow colored spell at the object. A whistling crack filled the air as the spell rebounded, now colored in a dazzling blue. Mundungus, hardly able to comprehend what was happening, was hit full force with the spell and a blank look appeared across his face. He was immobilized, completely frozen in time and space. The locket dropped to the ground by his feet, such was its punishment to the careless.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! We'll get to dinner sometime, really. I swear.


End file.
